From the 2008 News Archive

National Jurist Recognizes Dean Karen Rothenberg as a Leader in Public Service

The January 2008 issue of National Jurist magazine recognizes the University of Maryland School of Law's leadership in public service with a profile of Dean Karen Rothenberg.

Dean Rothenberg recently received Equal Justice Works’ Dean John R. Kramer Award for 2007 in recognition of her dedication to nurturing an outstanding spirit of public service at the School of Law.

In recognition of her accomplishments, Dean Rothenberg also received proclamations from the Maryland State Senate and House of Delegates at the law school's annual Annapolis legislative reception in mid-January.

Director of Pro Bono & Public Service Initiatives M. Teresa Schmiedeler, nominated Dean Rothenberg for the Kramer Award, praising her for her tireless support of students interested in public service opportunities. The law school’s Clinical Law Program, which is consistently ranked in the top ten nationally, is a leader in teaching students to integrate legal theory and practice while cultivating a spirit of public service. Each semester the School of Law’s clinical students and faculty provide more than 110,000 hours of free legal services in a wide range of practice areas, including health care, community development, public benefits, education, drug policy, environmental justice, criminal defense, postconviction and appellate work, mental health, family law, and civil rights.

"I am so proud that Equal Justice Works has decided to honor Karen Rothenberg," said Schmiedeler. "The number of public service initiatives she has launched is extraordinary." Examples given by Schmiedeler included:

Establishing the School of Law’s Public Interest Loan Repayment Program for students who pursue careers in public service;

Funding a matching program for the Summer Public Service Grants Program of the Maryland Public Interest Law Project;

Creating the Gilbert & Jaylee Mead Public Service Scholarship, which provides full tuition for incoming students with public service experience and aspirations;

Supporting students providing volunteer relief to the New Orleans Public Defender’s Office; and

Establishing the David S. Brown International Fellows Program to provide opportunities for students to pursue public interest learning experiences overseas.

Schmiedeler also lauded Rothenberg’s commitment to furthering justice through the law school’s Cardin Requirement. Named for U.S. Senator Benjamin Cardin, a School of Law alumnus, the Requirement mandates that students participate in clinical and legal theory courses that integrate faculty instruction with practice experience. Under faculty supervision, students represent indigent clients or organizations that assist people who are poor, socially disadvantaged, or otherwise lack access to justice.